Job provision, collaboration with CSO, NGOs crucial to curbing irregular migration  – Dr. Chibuzor Onyema

 

 

Dr. Chibuzor Onyema is the President and CEO of the Black Ancestral Native Communities (BANC) Foundation, a non-governmental organization dedicated to advocacy against irregular migration and developing sustainable solutions to address the issue. In this interview with CHRISTIAN APPOLOS, he emphasized the critical actions the Nigerian government must take to sustain its efforts in curbing irregular migration.

Labour and employment are central to migration dynamics. With migration governance now a key focus for governments, international organizations, CSOs, and NGOs, how would you assess the Nigerian government’s efforts in addressing irregular migration? In what ways should these efforts be intensified? Additionally, what role do job creation and youth empowerment play in curbing irregular migration?

 

The issue of migration, particularly irregular migration, is deeply tied to economic opportunities or the lack thereof. In Nigeria, migration governance has become a priority due to its socio-economic and security implications. The government has made notable efforts, such as partnering with international organisations to combat human trafficking and implementing reintegration programs for returnees. However, challenges remain, particularly in addressing the root causes; unemployment, underemployment, and a lack of viable opportunities for the youth.

To truly stem irregular migration, Nigeria must take a more aggressive and multi-dimensional approach. Job creation is at the heart of this solution. The government should focus on expanding industries that can absorb the country’s youthful population, such as agriculture, technology, and manufacturing. Encouraging entrepreneurship through accessible funding and business-friendly policies is equally critical.

Moreover, in today’s digital economy, equipping young Nigerians with relevant digital skills can open up remote work opportunities, reducing the desperation that drives irregular migration. Vocational training in high-demand sectors like renewable energy, creative industries, and skilled trades should also be prioritized.

In intensifying efforts, the government must improve policies that attract foreign direct investment (FDI), strengthen educational reforms to align with global job market needs, and create a more enabling environment for innovation. Partnerships with the private sector and international bodies should not only focus on migration control but on creating pathways for legal, safe, and gainful employment, both within and outside Nigeria.

Ultimately, reversing the trend of irregular migration requires Nigeria to present its youth with a compelling reason to stay; not through force, but through opportunity, security, and the promise of a better future at home.

 

How crucial is it for the Nigerian government to collaborate with stakeholders, particularly CSOs and NGOs, in strengthening migration governance?

 

Collaboration with stakeholders, especially Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), is not just an option for the Nigerian government in migration governance; it is an absolute necessity. Migration is a complex issue that cuts across economic, social, and security dimensions, requiring a multi-stakeholder approach for effective management.

CSOs and NGOs play a crucial role in advocacy, research, and direct intervention. They are often on the frontlines, engaging with migrants, returnees, and at-risk populations, providing essential services such as legal aid, skills training, psycho-social support, and reintegration programs. Their grassroots presence enables them to identify emerging migration trends and human trafficking networks, making them invaluable partners in policy formulation and execution.

To strengthen migration governance, the Nigerian government must: Institutionalize partnerships. Establish formal frameworks for regular dialogue and collaboration with CSOs and NGOs, ensuring their input is integrated into national migration policies.

Enhance resource mobilization. Provide funding support for credible organizations working on migration-related issues, leveraging their expertise to complement government efforts.

Improve data sharing and coordination. Work with stakeholders to develop a central database that tracks migration patterns, trafficking incidents, and successful reintegration cases, ensuring data-driven policymaking.

.Support community-based interventions – Empower CSOs and NGOs to implement awareness campaigns at the grassroots level, educating potential migrants on the dangers of irregular migration while showcasing safer, legal alternatives.

Strengthen international collaborations . Leverage the networks of NGOs and CSOs that have ties with international migration bodies, using their connections to negotiate better migration agreements, skills exchange programs, and returnee support initiatives.

A government that overlooks the role of CSOs and NGOs in migration governance risks losing touch with the realities on the ground. Nigeria must fully embrace these partnerships to create a migration management system that is humane, effective, and sustainable.

 

Since your Anti-Irregular Migration Summit last year, what concrete steps has the Black Ancestral Native Communities Foundation taken to implement the key recommendations from the summit?

 

One of the key commitments we made to the youth participants at our summit was the establishment of a Skills Acquisition and Resource Centre. However, due to financial constraints, we have been unable to commence construction of a dedicated facility. Despite this setback, we have successfully acquired land in Nigeria’s three geo-political zones: Ikem in Abia State, Keffi in Nasarawa State, and Idi Ayunre in Oyo State. On these sites, and through the financial support of critical stakeholders in the migration governance ecosystem, we plan to establish the Pathways Institute for Migration Alternatives (PIMA), a non-classroom technovarsity designed to provide innovative, practical, and scalable alternatives to irregular migration.

In the interim, and in line with our commitment to provide hands-on skills training for young people, we are collaborating with selected Nigerian tertiary institutions that have well-established entrepreneurship programmes and functional skills development centres. Through these partnerships, beneficiaries will undergo training via a sponsorship model we have developed, known as the “FuturePath Fund.”

In parallel with these efforts, we have initiated research to assess whether the risks, hardships, and fatalities associated with irregular migration serve as adequate deterrents for identified at-risk groups. Building on our findings, we will soon launch a series of psychosocial intervention programmes, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programmes, community-based interventions, and others, each tailored toward mitigating the psychological and socio-emotional drivers of irregular migration.

The outcomes of these studies will inform two forthcoming publications: DEARTHS & DEATHS: Assessing the Impacts of Irregular Migration, and THE JAPA CONQUEST: Winning the Mental War on Irregular Migration

 

Our overarching goal remains clear: to uphold and advance the dignity of Ancestral Black communities by promoting safe, orderly, and regular migration pathways as enshrined in international migration governance frameworks.2. Stakeholder Engagements

 

How has your foundation collaborated with government agencies, international organizations, and civil society groups to address irregular migration in Nigeria? Can you highlight any successful partnerships or ongoing initiatives?

 

Our roster of what we refer to as “Progress Partnerships” continues to expand steadily. Organisations such as the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) and IRARA have been particularly outstanding in their support. We also benefit from the technical and intellectual contributions of civil society groups like CSOnetMADE, who remain actively engaged in our initiatives.

We are currently engaging a broader network of organisations, government agencies, and international institutions, and the coming weeks will see a series of strategic collaborations taking shape.

 

Many irregular migrants come from vulnerable communities with limited economic opportunities. What programs or interventions has your foundation put in place at the grassroots level to discourage irregular migration and provide safer alternatives?

 

As previously highlighted, the FuturePath Fund initiative, the integrated collection of psychosocial therapies and intervention programmes, and most notably, the planned establishment of the Non-Classroom Technovarsity: PIMA, are among our strategic efforts to combat irregular migration. These are further complemented by our ongoing Anti-Irregular Migration Symposia (AiMS), held in tertiary institutions across the country; particularly in regions with a higher prevalence and notoriety for irregular migration. Collectively, these interventions form a holistic approach aimed at addressing both the root causes and enabling factors of irregular migration.

 

Given the current socio-economic challenges in Nigeria, how has the pattern of irregular migration evolved over the past year? Are there new risk factors or migration routes that your foundation has observed?

 

Previously identified irregular migration routes and their associated risk factors remain active. However, our ongoing research is uncovering evolving strategies employed by organised smuggling syndicates who exploit unsuspecting individuals through increasingly deceptive channels. While no entirely new risk factors have emerged, existing ones are expanding in scope and becoming significantly more dangerous and complex.

 

Has your foundation engaged with policymakers to push for more effective migration policies and protection mechanisms for potential migrants? What policy changes do you believe are urgently needed to curb irregular migration in Nigeria?

Last year, we were invited to join the Technical Working Group responsible for drafting and reviewing the National Migration Policy. This platform enabled us to actively contribute to the ongoing reform of Nigeria’s migration governance framework. In addition, the Blacks Ancestral Native Communities (BANC) Foundation continues to strongly advocate for the development of vocational mobility pathways and circular migration schemes: facilitating the movement of qualified individuals from Nigeria to countries experiencing labour shortages and in need of specific skill sets. As part of our contribution to such initiatives, we offer tailored skills development programs for destination countries that engage us through their diplomatic missions in Nigeria